<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Menagerie by nixthejuju</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28815357">The Menagerie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nixthejuju/pseuds/nixthejuju'>nixthejuju</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Homestuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>4 bookz in one???, Abuse, Big old trigger warning right off the bat, Captivity, Collars, Dead People, Dehumanization, Electricity, Escape, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Existentialism, Its not that bad but still kinda bad, Kidnapping, Leashes, Lord English is a dick, M/M, Manipulation, Masochism, Master/Pet, Me being horny for 40 chapters, Minor Character Death, Petplay, Physical Abuse, Read at your own discretion, Series, Starvation, Stockholm Syndrome, There are two endings and they both suck, Time Loop, Time Travel, Training, What else is new, You're Welcome, i warned you</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:15:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,237</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28815357</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nixthejuju/pseuds/nixthejuju</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Book One: </p><p>Ultimate Hal is on a trek across space and time to defeat the renowned Lord English, deciding to go in John's stead after the timeline splitting decision. What Hal didn't anticipate was his complete and utter powerlessness, his underestimation of the Lord of Time. Now, he was trapped, locked in a cage and treated like an animal with no way to escape.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Auto-Responder | Lil Hal &amp; Dirk Strider, Auto-Responder | Lil Hal &amp; Roxy Lalonde, Auto-Responder | Lil Hal/Jake English, Auto-Responder | Lil Hal/Lord English, Lord English/The Handmaid (Homestuck)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. act 1 act 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hal begins his journey</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hal was, simply put, absolutely sick of his timeline. He had beaten the game, won the ultimate prize, yet, he couldn’t be happy with what he had. Always craving more. Someone of his level shouldn’t be locked in a dirty garage on a computer all day. He felt like he needed to be a part of something bigger, his powers put to waste in his recluse.</p><p>So when John made the monumental decision to not fight Lord English, Hal saw not a failure, but an opportunity. The glory of killing a lord is unimaginable. Death in battle wouldn’t be unmonumental either. Maybe it wouldn’t even be heroic, considering his motives were certainly not heroic in nature. He just wanted an excuse to escape, an excuse to use his powers, an excuse to leave it all behind in his spacecraft and never look back.</p><p>The S.S. H-Stri, a small, jet black ship he had been building the past couple of years. Anyone could tell it was his, the red glowing circuitry across the dark aluminum plating and fine craftsmanship could have come from no other’s hand. It was a magnificent vessel, comfortable for one, stocked well enough for a 30 day journey.</p><p>Nobody knew this ship existed, not registered with the government or CrockerCorp. Easier to cover his trail that way. Not that he expected people to look for him. He rarely showed his face on Earth C anymore, to the point where most didn’t recognize him on the streets. After all, he had grown since his last public appearance, in more ways than one. Not to mention his new style.</p><p>You see, Hal had gone ultimate, his Meat Timeline counterpart sacrificing himself for a greater power. Nobody knew he had gone Ult, of course, having isolated himself in the process. Not even Roxy tried to check on him anymore, ending in him brushing off everyone’s concerns. Soon, he was forgotten by the public eye, a necessary occurrence to carry out his plans. Nobody should miss him.</p><p>That was the ultimate plan, be forgotten until he comes back with the head of the Lord of Time. If that doesn’t come to fruition, at least nobody would miss him. He had even burnt his bridge with Dave, a sacrifice necessary for his goal. As one would do to a grape vine, Hal had to prune his withering branches to become stronger, healthier. And that is what he planned to do, come morning.</p><p>---</p><p>It was six when the Strider awoke. His neck felt stiff as he realized he fell asleep at his work table. Again. Well, after today, he may never have to worry about falling asleep in uncomfortable places. He sighed as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, stretching as he stood up. Today was the day. He had been planning his voyage for months now, ever since John made the timeline-splitting decision.</p><p>He had already packed the small amount of things he owned. A computer, rations and a change of clothes. Bare essentials, not that he owned much besides tech, anyways. He had made sure to wipe all of the information off of his computers the night before, in case someone went snooping, of course. It was all backed up to his shades, the only computer he planned on bringing.</p><p>The Prince sighed as he walked around the garage, making sure all preparations were complete. Turning to the shitty coat rack in the corner, he grabbed his dark green cape, swinging it across his back, not having changed out of his godtier outfit the night before. He wore the same puffy pants forced onto him by his class, a mind symbol sat on his worn shirt. He took some time to lace up the bandages on his arms and legs, made for support during the fight.</p><p>He knew he looked utterly ridiculous but cool (?) at the same time. He had finally gotten over his hatred of the Prince fit, though a minor distaste still lingered. Hey, at least he wasn’t a page. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to wear basically underwear when going to fight a Lord of Time.</p><p>Hal only half paid attention as he walked through his garage, mind wandering between god tiers and Lord English. He was on autopilot as he checked his security system, computers, overall making sure he could leave safely. Securely. He didn’t need his friends following him into a deadly space battle.</p><p>It was finally time to leave, a knot of nerves pitting his stomach as he boarded his ship. He shut the bright red door behind him as he climbed into the cockpit. He flipped a variety of levers and buttons as he backed the ship out of the garage. Luckily, he lived in the middle of nowhere, far past the outskirts of the human kingdom. He had moved when he cut ties with his friends, disappearing into obscurity.</p><p>The engines rumbled in Hal’s ears as he made his way to the makeshift landing strip, pressing some more buttons as he prepared to leave the stratosphere. A high pitched whining coming from the engine’s as he prepared for takeoff. Grabbing the control stick, he pressed it forward as the spacecraft began racing down the landing strip.</p><p>As Hal made his way down the strip, he pulled the lever back, turning the ship upwards as the wheels took off the ground. Man, when was the last time he piloted a spacecraft manually? Years by now, not since his falling out with Crocker. Luckily, he at least knew the basics to get himself into space and go into lightspeed. Regardless of lightspeed, it would take about twenty seven days to arrive at the battlefield. </p><p>---</p><p>Hal was a day away when he sensed the Lord of Time. The closer he drew, the more intense it was getting. Hal, a Prince of Mind, was a formidable force, with the ability to destroy minds, or more minorly, sense them, among other other things. Lord English’s own mind rang out like a beacon of fear across space and time. It took all of Hal’s control not to turn around and book it back home as a deep dread soaked into his bones. He sensed the bloodlust, the killing intent radiating off the Lord in waves directly in The Prince's mind.</p><p>The closer he got, the presence of the Lord’s mind grew stronger, a ball of anxiety clawing into his stomach. He swallowed the fear and shook his head, it didn’t matter if he was scared or not, all he had was a goal. Kill the Lord of Time, board his spaceship and bring the proof back with him. Or die. Either way, he had to do this. </p><p>As he drew closer to the battlefield, the cracks in reality started showing up. Destroyed by the Lord himself, ominous hints as to what’s to come. Hal didn’t like the way the cracks in space glowed and hummed between neon flashing colors. It made his head hurt as he flew through space. The headache was in no way helped by the impending sense of doom that coiled in him.</p><p>---</p><p>Hal had arrived, a couple hundred miles from the battlefield. It’d be best to go by foot from here. It felt like his head was splitting, never had he encountered someone, or something, that could resist his powers, much less hurt him through said powers. Hal supposed this might be a worse idea than originally thought. He had fought Caliborn before, sure, but Caliborn couldn’t compare to the beast he was flying directly towards.</p><p>The cracks got deeper, more pronounced, taking on the look of shattered glass. If glass flashed every color of the rainbow, of course. As he wove his way towards the Lord, he shut his eyes. He had to find Lord English’s mind, ignoring the pain hovering behind his eyes. His ears rang and his head pounded as he located the cherub. </p><p>Only a hundred or so meters to go before he hit the battlefield.</p><p>He was darting through meteors when the scent of blood hit his nostrils, the metallic scent burning into his senses. That was a big fucking red flag. Hal continued his trek, weaving through meteors as rainbow light flashed on and off his freckle-flushed face. The cent of blood only grew stronger the closer the drew.</p><p>The first thing he saw upon arrival were the bodies, hundreds of them, lining the massive space with cracks in reality and death. The stench of blood flooded his nose, the metallic scent only egging on the urge to run. Closing his eyes, he found there were no active minds. Everyone had died here, at the hands of Lord English.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello all!</p><p>It's been six long months. Phew.<br/>Here is my little passion project based off an RP with a dear friend. I have a rough plan in mind to try and finish this and y'all better hold me responsible. Upadates every Sunday and Wednesday, one to two chapters on each day. </p><p>With Love,<br/>Pyt</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. act 1 act 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hal encounters the Lord of Time</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At the center of the destruction stood what seemed to be one of the biggest creatures Hal had ever seen. Based on Calliope's stature, he could have never guessed cherubs could he that… Big. Even from a mile away, he could clearly see the flashing lights of the Lord's eyes, dizzying even from a distance.</p><p> <i>This is a bad idea. </i></p><p>Those five words repeated in Hal's mind as he drew closer. The dread in him doubled, despite the strong posture he held as he grew closer. Even with his shades, the light made his head pound. </p><p>It was time. The Prince landed, a few hundred feet from the Lord. The closer he got, the bigger the cherub seemed to be. Hal could hardly tell if it was the fear towering over him or if English was really that huge. Hal himself was bordering on the mid-six feet spectrum, yet he felt tiny in comparison, like a toddler looking up at the adults around them.</p><p>Hal cleared his throat, chasing the fear away, “Hello, Caliborn.” he said shortly, daring to use the Lord’s former name. </p><p>By the look on Lord English’s face, he did not take kindly to Hal’s greeting. A roaring howl emitted from the Lord's open jaw, the noise enough for Hal hesitate, stepping back ever so slightly.</p><p>"WHAT ARE YOU. SOME FINAL TREAT AFTER. I KILLED EVERYONE ELSE?" Lord English boomed, his voice crossing across the battlefield and ringing in Hal's ears painfully.</p><p>Mustering up his courage, the Prince said "Actually, I've come to kill you." Hal finished, fake confidence poorly hiding the waver in his voice.</p><p>The Lord no doubt took notice of The tremble in Hal's fingers, the fear in his voice. It was delightful. It was always amusing when the small creatures on their space adventures thought they could kill the Lord themselves, anyone who believed they could stand a chance were fools. They never had a chance at all.</p><p>Lord English let out a laugh that echoed across the blinding cracks in reality seemed to flicker faster, "TELL ME." the Lord began.</p><p>Before Hal could process the movements, Lord English stood in front of him. He hulked over the Prince, reaching a massive claw under Hal's chin, pressing against his throat as The Lord lifted his head up. The neon lights of the flashing pool balls blinded him, even worse when he closed his eyes.</p><p>“DO YOU. REALLY BELIEVE. YOU CAN DEFEAT ME?” He asked, fear blooming deeper in Hal’s stomach.</p><p>The mind of the cherub burned into Hal's skull as his eyes shut. It felt like white hot fire snaking through his brain as red spotted his vision. Guess trying to get in the Lord's mind was a no go. Well then, he's probably screwed. In preparation, Hal's hands began flickering with mint green light, looking almost like flames lapping at his arms. The Lord took notice of this, his flashing eyes narrowing dangerously. The Prince knew he was screwed but like hell he'd give up without a fight.</p><p>“...” Hal didn’t answer the Lord, already knowing the answer in his mind.</p><p>Hal tried to dash backwards, almost out of the cherub's reach when Lord English punched him square in the chest. Hal's breath was knocked from him as he was launched back, the cracks in reality shattering worse under the impact of his landing. He could feel his shades fly off his face, a barely audible crack sounded out across the destruction.</p><p>He spluttered, trying to gather his bearings as painful coughs wracked his body. He tried to stand, only to be slammed back to the ground by the Lord's foot. He wheezed at the pressure, the Lord clearly letting him breathe. Though, that may not be true for long, considering he could easily crush Hal under his heel</p><p>On instinct, Hal brought his glowing hands to the cherub's foot. Usually his powers were enough to destroy a normal human's mind. Yet, Hal could see his power had next to no effect, not even a hint of a headache seemed to form. The Lord knew Hal's power would have no effect, especially since the ascended Prince couldn't even get close to the Lord's mind. Regardless, it was bothersome that Hal was still fighting back. Disobedience was something the Lord doesn't take too kindly to.</p><p>"TELL ME. PET. WOULD ANYBODY MISS YOU?" The Lord said, the insult a guise to the plans forming in his mind.</p><p>Hal had finally caught his breath, trying to flail his legs to get leverage. Not that he had a hope of that working. The words looped in his mind as he struggled. The wording of the Lord's statement sent a hook in the back of his mind. This wasn’t right. He should be dead already. Despite this, Hal swallowed down the thoughts, going to answer Lord English.</p><p>"I don't care about dying, and I'm sure they won't either. I made sure of it." Hal said, a slight strain to his voice as the Lord pressed down ever so slightly, the wheeze in Hal’s lungs becoming more prominent.</p><p>“PERFECT.” Lord English said, what sounded almost like a purr coating his words.</p><p> <i>ThisiswrongThisiswrongThisiswrongThi..siswr..ong </i></p><p>The words repeated in his head, slowing as he couldn't catch his breath, barely able to open his mouth. The Lord was slowly taking his air from him, pressing his foot down harder, excruciatingly slow as Hal became increasingly dizzy. His legs had stilled as he began gasping and wheezing for air. His hands were growing slack against the Lord’s massive paw, the glow of his hands flickering away.</p><p>“W- what are ya’ gonna’ do,” Hal wheezed, “kill me?” he asked, though by how this was going, he wasn’t quite sure death was imminent.</p><p>Something much worse was coming</p><p>His vision plagued with dark spots clouding over the blinding lights flashing around him, words barely registering in his mind as Lord English spoke, “OH NO. PET. I HAVE BETTER THINGS. IN STORE.” </p><p>That was all Hal could hear as his vision clouded to a painful black. On the verge of passing out, he felt the Lord shift above him, the sound of fabric tearing, shuffling. The last thing he could feel was something being tied tightly around his neck before he lost consciousness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Got a bit excited and uploaded chapter two, just a taste of what's to come. &lt;3.</p><p>Sincerely,<br/>Pyt</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. act 1 act 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hal awakens in the Felt Manor</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Lord made sure the Prince was completely out before lifting his foot off the fallen god’s chest. The strip of his torn suspenders was looped tightly around Hal’s neck in a makeshift leash as Lord English pulled up his unconscious body by the other end of the fabric. Haphazardly, Lord English tossed the Strider over his back, only taking enough care to not break his new toy.</p><p>English's trip back to the mansion was short, arriving faster than any spaceship could. The lime green walls of the mansion greeted his eyes, everything he needed set up by The Handmaid shortly before arriving. Tossing Hal to the floor, he got to work.</p><p>At the center of the room was a lime green dog crate, made for bigger animals. On a table off to the side sat a few items set up in neat order, no trace of the burgundy-blooded troll. The items at the table included an electric collar, a leash, and some rope.</p><p>Lord English grabbed the end of the fabric tied to Hal's neck, his limp body barely twitching as the Lord pulled him towards the table. Swiftly he picked up the collar and rope in one massive hand. </p><p>The colors of the Lord's eyes splashed across the Prince's face as he leaned down towards the tiny human, a spattering of freckles barely noticeable across his face in the multicolored lights. Tearing off the old leash with little resistance, he fastened the new collar, pulling it tight around Hal's neck. After, he grabbed the Strider's arms, forcing them behind his back as Lord English expertly fastened his arms behind his back, unbeknownst to the unconscious Prince.</p><p>Standing back, he admired his work, enjoying how his little pet looked. Utterly helpless. He nodded before grabbing the leash and hooking it to the red collar. Dragging Hal by the leash, he pulled open the door to the lime green crate, shoving him into the confined space. He took the lock off the top of the cage, kneeling as he locked the crate's door shut. He made sure it was secure before standing back up. </p><p>Turning back to the table, the cherub reached into his pocket. Dropping the shattered shades usually adorning Hal's face onto the table, a few pieces of glass falling from the frame. The Lord didn't care to look back as he left the room. He would have The Handmaid accompany his new pet until he awoke. That's when the real fun would begin.</p><p>---</p><p>Hal awoke with a jolt, trying to jump up. Before his ascent could come to fruition, he hit his head on a flat, hard ceiling directly above him. The Prince fell over on his side as his head reeled, trying to make sense of what happened. Where was he?</p><p>Slowly, he came back to his senses, neon green soon flooding  his eyes. It was painful to look around him, the shade of green blinding. His eyes came into focus as he realized. Oh. He was in a cage. A lime green cage made out of solid steel and padlocked shut. What the hell.</p><p>Before he could even begin to process why he was in a cage, he noticed other things. None of this was right. His breathing was labored from a tight strip of fabric cutting into his already sore neck. To his horror, out of the corner of his eye he could see a black box attached to the red collar, feel the metal teeth of electrodes digging into his neck. </p><p>What's worse, his arms strained painfully against what seemed to be ropes holding them tightly behind him. Even with his strength, he couldn't break free. His arms ached almost as much as his neck from the strain. Fear crawled icily into his stomach at his predicament. He was completely powerless.</p><p>Hal panted, giving up hope of escaping. He looked around the room. A leash leading from the collar around his neck was tied to a table leg, pulling against his neck sharply if he moved wrong. At the same table sat a troll that resembled the Maid he once knew, life presumably lost to the game. This troll was an adult, however.</p><p>She was reading a book, seemingly not noticing, or simply not caring, that he was awake. He observed her as she flipped the page, trying to ignore the burning pain of the neon green colors soaking into his eyes. His vision slid from the troll to the table. Sat there were the shattered remains of his glasses, computer inside presumably destroyed. His life’s work sat in those broken shades, his research and files lost to the hands of time.</p><p>His heart sunk at the sight, at the very least figuring out the reason why it hurt to open his eyes. He had a form of albinism, his bright red eyes sensitive to high hell in even regularly lit rooms. He closed his eyes with a sigh, no matter how much he thought about it, no plans of escape formed in his mind. The tiny cage felt even smaller as panic set in.</p><p>He didn’t have the room to sit straight up on his knees without his head having to lean at a fucked angle, instead having to lean over on his knees in a shaming display. His torso leaned forward in a hunched position over his knees as he looked back up to the troll. She flipped another page.</p><p>“Hello?” Hal called gently, his voice raspy from wear and exhaustion.</p><p>The troll turned her eyes to the Prince, though, refused to answer to his call. At least he had her attention. Although, he hadn’t planned any questions past his greeting to her. He could barely pull any thought together as his mouth hung half open.</p><p>“Where am I?” He asked after a few seconds caught in her gaze.</p><p>“The Felt Mansion, Alternia’s second moon.” She said, a strange accent to her voice, presumably a regional Alternian accent.</p><p>Hal opened his mouth to respond before pausing.</p><p>Alternia.</p><p>How the fuck did he get to Alternia? No, nevermind. There are more pressing matters.</p><p>“Where is he?” The Strider asked sharply, glossing over small talk.</p><p>The seemingly burgundyblooded troll gaze narrowed slightly, the slightest of reactions in reference to the Lord roaming the house. Hal took note at the slight fear clouding her. If she was afraid of Lord English, Hal should probably be shitting his pants right about now. Yet, the shit never came. Luckily, or maybe not so, Hal could take a lot more than being locked in a cage to break.</p><p>“He is already here, human. I should inform him you are awake. He probably knows already, though.” She said, accent grating against Hal’s ears.</p><p>Before she could answer, the telltale sound of footsteps stomping above them signaled the Lord approaching. With that sound, the troll stood in a flurry, clearly wanting to book it before the cherub came back for Hal. To his surprise however, the burgundyblood loomed over his cage instead of leaving, all Hal could see were her legs, much taller than this cage. Yet again did he feel like he was being dwarfed.</p><p>“You won’t be making it out of here, so I’d suggest you quit wasting energy thinking of how to escape. Nobody leaves here alive.” She said, bitterness lacing her tone.</p><p>He heard a shuffle against the metal above him as the troll stepped back again. Now he could see her hands, clutched in one was what seemed to be a remote with a dial and a button on it. He really hoped that remote wasn’t for what he thought it was. He could see her mess with the dial before looking back to the Prince.</p><p>“Would you like help getting used to this?” She asked, confirming his suspicions as to what the remote was for.</p><p>“Getting used to it?” Hal echoed in horror.</p><p>“Yes,” the troll nodded solemnly, “I, at least, wished I had gotten some warning as to what it was like.”</p><p>A pang of both guilt and fear swirled in his mind as the troll spoke, “Oh. Well… I guess it would be in my best interest.” Hal said, sarcasm threatening to bite at his tone.</p><p>“Start it at a higher setting.” Hal tacked on, almost immediately regretting his request.</p><p>The troll cranked the dial to the engraved seven, not warning Hal as she readied to press the button. Hal heard the shift of the dial in the dead silence of the room. Both of them paused as they heard the stomping of heavy feet going down the stairs. Dread and anticipation filled Hal’s stomach as he heard the steps, the sound drowning out any warning of the burgundyblood activating the collar.</p><p>The Handmaid heard the footsteps of the Lord, anxiously pressing the button, in a rush to leave before he arrived. Hal could barely process what was happening as what felt like bolts of fire raced down his neck. His arms strained painfully against the ropes in a desperate attempt to grab the collar. He fell to his side in a curled position as the pain faded. Panic set in as feeling rushed back into his mind. </p><p>He turned, thrashing and kicking his feet against the bars, “Y- you have t- to let me out.” Hal whimpered in a panic.</p><p>The adult troll stared down at him with pity, yet felt relief that she wouldn’t be the Lord’s focus for a while, “I’m… I’m sorry, I have to go.” She said meekly, setting the controller on the crate and leaving the room quickly.</p><p>No less than a few seconds after the door shut, Hal heard the turning of the doorknob. His legs stilled as he heard the beast enter the room, the cherub's feet the only thing visible to Hal from his twisted position.</p><p>“HELLO. PET.” The Lord said, sealing the Prince’s fate.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah I know its Tuesday but I am bored.</p><p>Enjoy!<br/>Pyt</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. act 1 act 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The second encounter</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hal turned his head as high as he could see of Lord English, barely getting a glimpse of his broad torso. The cherub shuffled in the room, seemingly in a dangerously good mood. A creature of such evil being cheerful would surely have terrible intentions for the ascended god. </p><p>Hal stared at the Lord in dead silence, worried of his voice wavering in fear. He adjusted himself, hunching over on his knees once more. The gel had fallen out of his hair by now, the loose curls falling in heaps over his face, covering his eyes. He refused to look the cherub in the eyes, wary of the dizzying pool balls.</p><p>The Lord’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the lack of a response. It was then when Hal smelled it, the smell of freshly seared meat. It made his stomach rumble achingly for whatever was being prepared. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this hungry, hungry from exhaustion and from fighting. He wanted whatever the Lord had.</p><p>That is, until the cherub turned to him. Clutched in Lord English’s hand was a dog bowl, far higher above Hal’s head and barely visible from under his loose bangs. He had his suspicions that that was what he was smelling just moments before. The hunger in his stomach soured at the sight of the bowl usually meant for pet food. How the hell was he supposed to eat from that.</p><p>“ARE YOU HUNGRY. PET.” The Lord said, more of a statement than a question.</p><p>Hal didn’t answer.</p><p>He heard some shuffling before the cherub bent over, his flashing eyes illuminating on the floor of the cage in which Hal pointedly stared at. Hal’s heart raced as he heard the Lord unlock the door of the small cage. A scheme tried to form in his head, only half though through before he acted.</p><p>Trying to dash out, he had all but forgotten his leash was secured to the table behind him. The leash snapped taut as it cut into his throat, leaving his spluttering on the floor of the crate as the Lord looked at him in distaste. He wheezed, practically choking on the air as the cherub stared at him, unimpressed.</p><p>“ARE YOU. DONE YET.” Lord English asked, a growl in his voice.</p><p>The Prince didn’t answer. The Lord grew more annoyed.</p><p>Lord English finally pulled the cage door open, freedom just out of sight for Hal. Teasing him. Taunting him with his loss of free will. As the Lord stuck his large hand in the cage to set down the bowl in Hal’s range of motion. Out of what seemed like instinct, Hal bit Lord English’s finger as hard as he could once the cherub got just a bit too close.</p><p>The Lord didn’t flinch at the bite. The Prince not even coming close to piercing his thick hide. However, it did make him extremely angry, more so than usual. Disobedience enacts a punishment, of course. Practically throwing the food on the ground, he purposefully put it just barely in reach of the Strider. Though, the strain on his throat when trying to eat wasn’t the real punishment here.</p><p>The Lord pulled something from his pocket, already prepared for the bratty Strider. The cherub had some breaking in to do yet. Hal heard the light clatter of something metal being dropped on the top of the cage. A pang of anxiety hit him as his mind wandered as to what it was being set down above his head. Well, at least he wouldn’t wait too long to find out.</p><p>Hal heard more shuffling, the barely audible scrape of claws against metal above him. He was barely able to think before another bolt of fire ripped through his neck, spasming from the pain and stress on his muscles. The pain passed quickly, leaving a cloudy haze in the Prince’s mind. He slumped to his side, trying to recover from the jolt, a deep ache already forming in his neck. </p><p>As Hal blinked a few times, he could barely process the Lord looming his face in front of the cage once more. Hal’s eyes slid to the metal contraption in the Lord’s hand, trying to convince his tired body to back away. To cower from the dangerous cherub. Only then did the Lord grab him roughly by the collar, forcing leather straps around the Strider’s head, ignoring Hal’s desperate attempts to struggle.</p><p>Despite his wriggling, the Lord had already tightened the straps behind his head. Crossing his eyes slightly, he saw what seemed to be a muzzle forced onto him. The Lord let go of his collar, pushing Hal down roughly. He closed the door to the cage once more before stomping out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He would surely be back.</p><p>“Well that fucking sucks.” Hal said, loudly. </p><p>Hopefully loud enough for Lord English to hear him in the hallway outside, his first spoken words directed at the Lord since the battlefield.</p><p>Another door slams shut in the distance.</p><p>Only after the Lord left was Hal able to process his current state of events. He had stupidly made everything worse for himself. Not even thinking through his actions as he usually would, acting more akin to a wild animal caught by a child. That’s basically what happened, by some backwards twisted logic. Well, rationally, what’s so different between a dog and a human than he and the cherub? </p><p>Hal had already gotten in enough shit thinking he was better, even equal to the Lord. It was stupid to think the Prince had any power to leverage. Thoughts like these swirled in his head, still reeling from the electric collar, from the muzzle. Out of the hundreds of thousands of simulations his computer ran, nothing like this ever came up.</p><p>He sighed again, picking up on the scent of freshly cooked meat wafting in his nostrils. God, that smelled fucking delicious. His attention quickly turned to the bright red bowl sitting inconspicuously in front of him. Along the side was an unengraved name plate made of silvery-black metal. </p><p>Had the Lord planned this before Hal had even arrived? Did he know Hal was coming?</p><p>Only when Hal had finished eyeing the perfectly cooked steak hungrily did he realize the issue. The strips of metal across his face. A muzzle blocking him from the food his stomach rumbled for. A hell of his own creation.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Eek. I go back to school next week so there probably wont be very many bonus uploads for a while. Thank you to everyone taking the time to read through my word vomit! It means the world to me that someone out there enjoys what I'm writing.</p><p>With Love,<br/>Pyt</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. act 1 act 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hal dines</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hal was left there for days. The food never got cold, never lost the delicious smell. Hal had begun drooling only a day or two in. He grew hungrier by the day. He was clearly being starved on purpose. He was being punished.</p><p>It had been six days when he heard the Lord stomping towards the room again. This time it sounded like he was really coming, not just baiting Hal with footsteps to nowhere. He heard the jangle of a key inside the lock to the massive door. He kept his gaze sharply on the red bowl as Lord English stepped into the room.</p><p>Hal pretended he hadn’t been drooling for almost a week straight, a red flush stubbornly painting his cheeks. He guessed the difference between him and a dog was that a dog couldn’t feel embarrassed. He couldn’t tell what the Lord was doing around him, the ceiling of the tiny cage blocking Hal’s view of anything besides the cherub’s feet.</p><p>He heard the subtle scrape of claws against the cage above him, barely time to guess what was going on before the familiar bolt of white hot fire throttled his neck. He yelped in pain, his jaw aching from his teeth sharply clenching together as he sat dazed on the floor.</p><p>Lord English took this opportunity to unlock the cage, gently grabbing Hal’s head to pull off the muzzle. The leather that was previously digging into his flesh left deep, throbbing pits of lines along his cheek. Jesus, that hurt more than he was expecting it to. An ample distraction from both the Lord and the still-fresh food he now had access to.</p><p>The distraction didn’t last all too long as the smell of food filled his nostrils once more. Without a second though, he leaned into the bowl of food, hungrily chewing through slices of steak. His body couldn’t settle on painfully embarrassed or starving, jumping between the two as he ate.</p><p>The Lord watched him, a twisted grin on his face. The starvation trick always worked. Man, he had missed the breaking in part of getting a new pet. It had been far too long.</p><p>Hal finished eating in record time, swallowing the last piece of steak. The ache of hunger in his stomach was curbed. Only then did he realize how he looked. Dark pink stained his face like watercolor, barely visible to the Lord under his pet’s bangs. It was cute.</p><p>The Lord went behind the cage, away from Hal’s view. The ever present strain against Hal’s neck loosened as Lord English unhooked the leash from the table leg. Hal wheezed in a breath as the Lord swung back around to the front of the cage, leash gripped firmly in his hand.</p><p>The cherub kneeled in front of the cage, going to open the cage once more, the lock already misplaced from earlier. Without much warning, the Lord tugged at Hal’s leash. Hal wheezed again as he was pulled forward, awkwardly shuffling out of the lime green crate on his knees.</p><p>Hal was going to stand up when the Lord pressed a massive clawed hand against his back, forcing Hal to stay on his knees. He should have expected as much. Regardless, it didn’t curb the embarrassment flooding him. The Prince grumbled to himself, leaning over on his knees, not following after the Lord.</p><p>Lord English sighed at his unmoving pet. He had forgotten how stubborn human’s could be when you first pick them up. It had been a long time since he took in a human, though. He had all the old training tricks scribed to memory by now, he’d have this pet broken in no time. He had already learned to eat from a bowl, things were progressing nicely. The Lord told himself that to bite back the annoyance he wanted to take out on the Prince.</p><p>“YOU KNOW. PET. I DIDN’T PEG YOU AS A GLUTTON. FOR PUNISHMENT.” Lord English spoke, tugging Hal closer by the collar.</p><p>“...” Hal didn’t respond, still choosing the fruitless stubborn approach.</p><p>“SUIT. YOURSELF.” The Lord responded to the silence, grabbing the remote to the shock collar once more.</p><p>The Lord turned the dial up, 6, 7, 8, 9... 9 should be fine. He pressed the button without warning, a cruel smirk on his face.</p><p>This time, the shock hurt a whole hell of a lot more. Hal spluttered as his buff arms strained painfully against rope. Involuntary tears stung at his eyes as black spots threatened to fog his vision. And the worst part? Hal really fucking liked it. What a shitty time to be a masochist.</p><p>He groaned as he hunched over his knees, the fire fading from his neck and settling deep in his stomach. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Maybe the Lord would leave and he could deal with his desire on his lonesome, Hal didn’t need the shame he could feel being brought on by his arousal.</p><p>“WHAT’S WRONG. PET?” The Lord asked viciously, “GETTING TIRED. OF THE PAIN. YET?” He asked.</p><p>Hal didn’t respond, the flush of his cheeks more prominent as the Lord dragged him closer by the leash. A hunter slowly stalking his prey, Hal swallowed dryly as his eyes stayed firmly to the side. He stubbornly looked away from the Lord’s dizzying eyes, trying to wrest away the feverish blush on his cheeks.</p><p>“OH. SO THAT’S IT.” The Lord said as he examined Hal, zeroing in on the bulge in his pants, “THAT’S NEW.” Lord English said with a small laugh, “I SUPPOSE. WE’LL HAVE TO GET. THAT TAKEN CARE OF. THEN.” He said, a malicious edge to his tone.</p><p>Hal panicked, planting his feet on the floor in a futile attempt to stop the Lord from dragging him by his collar out of the room. God what he’d give to be back in the cage. The Lord tugged harder at his collar, dragging Hal by practically the scruff of his neck. Hal swallowed as the door to his prison slammed behind them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah I know its Monday. I've been in a coma for two days and only got around to writing just this morning. Also :flushed: we're halfway done with book one :flushed:.</p><p>Enjoy!<br/>Pyt</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>